Linthicum * Ferndale * Brooklyn Park * Pumphrey

NORTH COUNTY --

A county zoning official has cleared the way for a new McDonald's on the site of an old automobile rental, storage and maintenance business in a Linthicum industrial park.

An administrative hearing officer approved American Touresort Inc.'s plan to tear down a building on the south side of Elkridge Landing Road, south of West Nursery Road, and build a fast-food restaurant.

Robert C. Wilcox approved a special zoning exception, noting that Airport Square Industrial Park would offer a built-in market. Because the park employs 11,700 workers and the closest fast-food restaurant, a Roy Rogers, is about a mile away, most of the traffic would come from within the park, Mr. Wilcox said.

The restaurant can be no larger than 2,791 square feet or 25 percent the size of the previous building, whichever is smaller, Mr. Wilcox ruled. He also restricted the parking lot to a maximum of 22,672 square feet, 30 percent bigger than the previous parking lot.

Woman faces child-abuse charge

A 22-year-old Linthicum woman was charged with physical child abuse after an 11-year-old girl was hit Sunday.

According to the police report, the 11-year-old told police that her father's girlfriend was angry because she did not clean her room. The girlfriend put all of the girl's clothing in a bag and, during an argument, hit her in the eye with it, the report said.

Staci Nerenberg of the 6800 block of Baltimore-Annapolis Blvd. also was charged with assault and battery after the 7:50 p.m. incident, police said.